Monday, December 17, 2012

Zitting Cisticola and Black Baza

Zitting CisticolaSuphanburi

After a very busy week, it was great to finally have chance for the first time in a week to have a good walk around the local patch. A few things had began to sing and display much more than a week ago, Zitting Cisticolas were far more in evidence then the previous week, with calling and displaying birds everywhere, with around 100-150 present. Plain Prinia were also very evident and both Plaintive Cuckoo and Asian Koel were singing much more strongly than previous.

There were very few waders around the site with just 50 Red-wattled Lapwing, 3 Wood Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper and a Pintail Snipe present. I made a bit of an effort to count all the winter visitors around the site which included 2 Stork-billed, 3 Black-capped and 9 Common Kingfisher, 11 Brown Shrike, 21 Eastern Stonechat, Bluethroat, 3 Siberian Rubythroat, 3 Lanceolated, 7 Pallas's Grasshopper, 2 Thick-billed, 13 Black-browed, 35 Dusky and 5 Yellow-browed Warbler, 6 Taiga and one Asian Brown Flycatcher and 8 Red-throated Pipit.

Black BazaSuphanburi

Raptors around this morning included a surprise Black Baza only my second local record, along with single Black-shouldered Kite, Easter Marsh Harrier and a Kestrel.

The weaver flock had increased in size with over 300 now present, mostly Baya but with at least 30 Golden also present, but no sign of any Streaked. There was also many more Red-rumped Swallows present than in previous weeks with at least 50 over one large rice paddy. Also present this morning two Speckled-breasted Woodpecker, 13 Bronze-winged and 5 Pheasant-tailed Jacana, 8 Blue-tailed Bee-eater, 5 Ruddy-breasted Crake and three Little Heron.

Spotted Pierrot

New butterflies this morning included Spotted Pierrott, Common Line Blue, Orange Emigrant and Striped Albatross.

Common Lineblue

Striped Albatross

Also present in huge numbers were many fresh Tawny Coster and thousands of a yet undientified geometrid moth.

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About Me

I am a Norfolk birder who now spends the winter months living and birding in Thailand. The summer months are spent working and living on Scolt Head Island, Norfolk, England as permanent summer warden for Natural England. I have spent the last eight winters in Thailand and have seen well over 700 species in the country. I am happy to offer free advice on birding in Thailand and anyone wanting more information or advice can contact me at neilscolt@gmail.com.
I have been birding for around 30 years, and have long given up twitiching in the UK now concentrating on finding my own birds which have included White-billed Diver, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, Isabelline Shrike (2), Calandra Lark, Arctic Warbler, Hume's Warbler, Radde's Warbler (2), Dusky Warbler, Booted Warbler, Spectacled Warbler, Marmora's Warbler, Citrine Wagtail and Yellow-breasted Bunting.
I am also a keen moth trapper in both the UK and Thailand, and have helped produce the Norfolk Bird and Mammal Report for the last 18 years.